Washing machine having means for heating incoming water



J. J. GREBE July 4, 1950 WASHING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR HEATING INCOMING WATER Filed Nov. 5, 1945 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR JOHN J GREBE y 1950 J. J. GREBE 2,514,050

WASHING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR HEATING mcoumc WATER Filfld Nov. 5, 1945 2 Sheets-She'et 2 mun:

WATE DRAI AIR EXHAUST 3| WASHING WAT 'NLET A |R T:

TE TLET FIG, 5

Patented July 4, 1950 WASHING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR HEATING IN COMIN G WATER John J. Grebe, Midland, Mich. Application November 5, 1945, Serial No. 626,799

2 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines and particularly to the automatic type having a continuous or intermittent discharge of hot water.

In spite of the many obvious advantages of the automatic spin-dry type of rotary washing machine, it has frequently been criticized as using an excessive amount of hot water. In seeking to overcome this disadvantage, some workers have attempted to lessen the amount of hot water used by more efiicient means for tumbling or agitating the clothes being washed or by utilizing various means for pre-soaking the clothes. I have discovered means for accomplishing this end which proceeds on an entirely different principle. In my invention the hot water discharge from the washing chamber is made available for secondary purposes and is also utilized to pre-heat incoming cold water. Since there are many laundry uses which can advantageously be made of the hot water discharged from the washing chamber, thi utilization thereof avoids the former waste in both heat and soap and thereby reduces the overall cost. of conducting a washing with this type of washing equipment. Further, by utilizing the hot discharged water and discharged drying air for pre-heating incoming water, a certain amount of the heat is recovered and the over-all operating cost of the washing equipment thereby itself reduced.

Since the principles of my invention may be fully illustrated without resort to detail drawings of all parts of appropriate apparatus and since much of the apparatus utilized will be conventional, the accompanying drawings are somewhat schematic and are detailed only to the extent that the structure required is not itself conventional.

The major object of my invention is to provide a washing machine with which washing operations can be conducted at a lower cost than with presently known types without sacrificing the advantages thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide a washing machine wherein the water discharged from the washing chamber may be utilized for secondary purposes.

A further object of my invention is to provide a washingmachine wherein the heat contained in water discharged from the washing chamber may be utilized to pre-heat incoming cold water.

A further object of my invention is to provide a washing machine wherein the heat contained in the washing water is utilized more efficiently than in presently known types.

A further object of my invention is to provide a washing machine wherein the heat contained in drying air is utilized to pre-heat incoming cold water and is thereby at least partially recovered for further use.

A further object of my invention is to provide a washing machine as aforesaid wherein the advantages above named can be secured without material change in the manner of operation from present practices.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus having the aforesaid advantages with which an integral water softening means is provided.

Other objects and purposes of my invention will be apparent to those acquainted with equipment of this type upon examination of the accompanying drawings and reading of the following disclosure.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a front elevational, partially sectioned schematic view of a washing machine embodying my invention,- said sectional portion being on line I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a top view of a washing machine embodying my invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a modification of a portion of the machine illustrated in Figure 1..

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken as a section on the lines IV-IV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view taken as a section on the lines VV of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a flow diagram schematically illustrating the operational relationship of the parts.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown, somewhat schematically, a washer hav ing a rectangular case I, a rotary washing drum 2, and a pair of built-in tubs 3 and 4. Hot, soapy water discharging from the washing drum is discharged first into one of said built-in tubs and from thence out to a suitable drain. Incoming cold water is passed through a jacket between said tubs and the washing drum chamber for pre-heating before being conducted to either a built-in or a separate water heater or to a point of other use.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail there issuitably and conventionally mounted within the casing I a rotary washing drum 2 located within the wall 5 of the conventional washing chamber. The usual actuating and 1 control apparatus conventional in washers of this type. such as illustrated in Reissue Patent for rotating the drum' and for introducing and releasing water from the washing chamber.

In the upper part or the washer there are built in a pair of tubs 3 and 4 which partially surround the washing chamber. These may, when desired, be covered by suitable top means (not shown). Their bottom elements 5 and I are made from a heat conducting material, such as steel; they may or may not be integral with each other; and are spaced away from the outer wall of the washing chamber to define a wide but shallow chamber therebetween. As shown in Figure 1, the wall of the washing chamber comprises the inner shell 5, the outer shell 9 and the intermediate heat insulation Ill. The underside of the walls 6 and I are conveniently provided with a plurality of heat distributing fins ll.

The partition 30 is placed between the outer shell 8 of the washing chamber and the bottoms i and 1 of the tubs to define on 'one side thereof a chamber 3| and on the other side thereof a chamber 8, each utilized as describedhereinafter.

At a convenient part of the tubs 3 and 4, such as the back thereof, there is located means for discharging into either of said tubs the hot water discharged from the washing chamber. This may be any two-way valve and is here shown as a pipe stub l4 receiving discharge from the washing drum and fitted with a flexible hose l3 which can be by hand directed toward either tub as desired. In this way water entering from the pipe l4 into the distributing hose l3 may be directed into either of the tubs 3 or 4 by manipulating the hose as desired. In the position illustrated in Figure 1 the hose I3 is set to discharge into the tub 4. By means which are conventional and hence are not shown, the regular discharge from the washing chamber is connected to the pipe l4 and thus said.discharge is conveyed selectively into either of tubs 3 or 4.

It will be noted, incidentally, that by this construction the point of discharge from the washing chamber is always well above the impelling pump and hence the machine herein disclosed is free from the danger, existent in certain present types, of permitting the pump to run dry and spoil its bearings.

The cold water inlet conduit I! (Fig. 4) communicates with a suitable control valve l8 and a pressure reduction valve 18. Valve l8 reduces the pressure in order that the in-flow of water will cease when tank 40 is full and before it overflows. From said pressure reduction valve there may, if desired, be provided a passageway to the interior of a water softening tank 40. Said tank has a removable cover 4!, a charging funnel 42, a screen 43 near its bottom supporting a quantity of ion-exchange water softening resin 44 of any conventional type, and a discharge passageway 45. The tank is located at a sufiiciently high point that the water contained in it will provide enough head to effect the hereinafter described flow. This discharge passageway 45 communicates with a two-way valve 46 which controls flow into either a drain 4'! or a conduit 48, which latter communicates with a valve 49. Drain 41 connects with any convenient waste water disposal means such as a floor drain. From said valve water, may be conducted directly to the tubs, such as to the asitoso chamber to and thence through the opening 20 and into the tub l or, by suitable pin e. to the chamber 24 and thence through the opening 25 to the tub 4. However, the primary outlet from the valve 4! will be into the chamber 2i and thence through the shallow chamber 8 around to the discharge end 22 thereof and into a selecting valve i2 (Fig. 5). From this valve it may go either into a suitable water heater 2! or go into direct use if and as desired. From the water heater 9. part of the water may go into either of chamber 24 or chamber is as selected by suitable valves and from thence out through the opening 25 or the opening 20, respectively, into the tubs 4 or 3. The primary outlet, however, for the water heater 23 is a conduit 26 by which the hot water is conducted to conventional inlet means in the washing chamber in the usual manner.

This heating unit is also provided with an air heating portion which in a conventional manner discharges dry, heated air into the rotary drum after the spin-dry step of the machine's operation while the contents of the drum are being tumbled slowly for finishing the drying process. The exhaust air from the drying step is discharged to the atmosphere through the conduit 3|, beginning at the end 3 la and passing to the atmosphere at the end alb.

It will be evident that the air and water heaters 35 and 23 may, if desired, be separate from the washer body. In such case the discharge point 22 of the water pre-heater will be connected to suitable pipe fittings by which at least a part of the water discharging therefrom may be conducted to the water heater.

with a device of the type above described, water will be introduced through the inlet ll, passed through the control valve 16 and the pressure reduction valve 18, to the softening unit 40. As it flows through the resin particles in said tank its calcium and magnesium ions will be exchanged with sodium ions in the known manner. After each inflow cycle the softener may be recharged, or less often as required, putting a predetermined quantity of sodium chloride solution into said tank through the funnel 42 and turning the valve 46 to discharge water down the drain 41. These manipulations will all normally be carried out by automatic means but for 11- lustrative purposes may here be considered as done manually. Sufiicient head is provided by water in the softener to effect flow throughout the rest of the unit. From the softening unit the water goes through the valve 46 to the conduit 48, except during regeneration of the resin as aforesaid, and thence to the valve 49. From this valve the water may pass into the chamber 2| and then it may go through the pro-heating chamber 8 into the water heater 23 or into direct use. It may be obtained for direct use by means of the selective valve [-2 which may direct it to the mixing means and then to the washing chamber 2. An example of such direct use at this point n to use such pre-heated water instead of the original cold water where it is desired to temper the hot water with colder water to reduce the washing temperatures. This saves still more new heat. From the heater, or the valve H as the case may be, or both, the water is conveyed by suitable means such as a pipe, including a hot water conduit 26, through conventional mixing means to the washer as same operates in the usual manner. At the close of each washing or rinsing cycle hot water will be discharged chamber.

from the washing chamber and will pass through the pipes I4 and the hose l3 into either of the tubs 3 or 4, as determined by the appropriate manipulation of the said hose. Here, there is thus made available for immediate use hot soapy water whichwill usuallybe found usable for pre-soaking subsequent charges for the washing chamber, or for the hand washing of such items as it may not be desirable to put into the washing By proper shifting of the discharge from one tub to the other it will be easy to select in one tub or the other such discharged washing water or discharged rinse water, or mixtures thereof, as may be desirable. Either of these may, of course, be supplemented at any time by direct feeding of hot or cold water from sources as above indicated by suitable valves and inlets.

Whether or not direct use is made of the hot water collected in the tubs 3 and 4, this hot water will transfer a considerable amount of its heat through the bottoms 6 and I and the attached fins II to the incoming cold water in the chamber 8. The exhaust air from the drying step in discharging through the space ll will give up a great deal of its heat to the cold water flowing through the pre-heating chamber 8. Of particular importance will be the condensation on the wall 32 of the partition 30 of moisture in said drying air and the consequent giving up to said wall of the heat of vaporization of said moisture. This will provide for the recovery of an important quantity of otherwise waste heat. Due to the inclination of the wall 32, moisture collecting thereon will run rather quickly down the greater part of its extent and may be collected anddischarged in any convenient manner from the lower part thereof.

The above described passage of water and air through the various elements of the washing machine is illustrated by the flow diagram shown in Figure 6. In this diagram are shown such valves and pumps as are necessary to operate a machine as described herein. All such valves and pumps as are shown may be' of any conventional design suitable for the purpose. It will be readily seen that other valves and pumps may be added for the purpose of convenience or to vary the operation at any one or more steps in the cycle but that such additional units are not basically essential for the functions described or claimed.

In a modification of the above described machine as shown in Figure 3 it is assumed that the air heater is eliminated so that the partition II and the corresponding space 3| are not present. In this case the incoming cold water flows between the tub bottom Ia corresponding to tub bottom I of Figure 1 and the outer shell In of the drum chamber corresponding to the outer shell 3 of Figure 1. Although the insulation II, as shown in the drawing, protects the drum chamber against the escape of a great amount of heat therefrom, in this form of the device such heat as does escape through the insulation will still be utilized by being absorbed into the incoming water. Hence, this otherwise waste heat will be recovered with resulting economy in the use of the washer.

While the fragment illustrated in Figure 3 corresponds to the side of Figure 1 including the wall 'I it is evident that its construction will con- 8 tinue through the parts corresponding to partitions 6 and I.

It will be evident that many other modifications may be made in the details of my invention and that a large variety of apparatus may be employed utilizing its principles. However, it is believed that my invention is of relatively broad extent so that such variations will all be included within the scope of my invention and the hereinafter appended claims excepting as said claims by their own terms expressly provide otherwise.

I claim:

1. In a home laundry unit having a washing chamber selectively discharging therefrom hot water and hot drying air used in its normal operating cycle, the combination comprising: a cylindrical washing chamber having a horizontal axis and accessible at one end; a pair of tubs above said washing chamber each having its bottom wall spaced from and substantially. parallel to the wall of said washing chamber; a partition between and spaced from both the wall of said washing chamber and the bottom wall of each of said tubs and-defining a preheater chamber adjacent said tubs and an exhaust air chamber adjacent said washing chamber; means for conducting said discharged hot water from said washing chamber to said tub; means for forcing hot air discharged from said washing chamber through said exhaust air chamber; means for conducting incoming water at atmospheric pressure through said preheater chamber in heat exchange relationship with both said tubs and said exhaust air chamber.

2. In a laundry unit selectively discharging hot water and drying air used in its normal operating cycle, the combination comprising: a cylindrical washing chamber; a tub having one wall thereof spaced from a wall of said washing chamber; a partition spaced from and between the wall of said washing chamber and the said wall of the said tub and defining a preheater chamber adjacent said tub and an exhaust air chamber adjacent said washing chamber; means for conducting to said tub hot water discharged from said washing chamber and controllable means for discharging saidwater from said tub; means for conducting drying air discharged from said washing chamber to said exhaust air chamber and means for conducting incoming water at atmospheric pressure 'into said preheater chamber whereby said incoming water may flow in heat exchange relationship to both said discharged hot water and said discharged drying air.

JOHN J. GREBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS. 

